Objectives

1.

Develop a Europe-wide framework for Earth-system modelling and climate service activities. This framework will be built around a managed network of European, national and international activities and organisations. The network currently does not exist but is becoming increasingly necessary, and will be cross- disciplinary.

2.

Coordinate and integrate on-going and future European climate modelling, climate observations and climate service infrastructure initiatives, and facilitate dialogue among the relevant stakeholders, including climate science communities, funding bodies, providers and users. This will improve synergies, reduce fragmentation and promote alignment between national, European and international activities. The user communities will include public sector, businesses, industry and society.

3.

Establish multi-disciplinary expert groups to assess the state-of-the-art in Earth-system modelling and climate services in Europe, and identify existing gaps, new challenges and emerging needs, including specific recommendations to the European Commission on future research and innovation priorities. Such assessments are desperately needed but currently do not exist.

4.

Enhance communication and dissemination activities with stakeholders, in particular through a series of events to bring the network together and showcase progress, produce stakeholder-oriented reports on the state-of-the-art in Earth-system modelling and climate services in Europe, operate a website, and undertake additional stakeholder interactions to increase awareness and maximise project impacts.